Tónlist

Here is the list of the various Icelandic and other Nordic/Arctic musical groups I’ve mentioned in FITK over the years:

Áki Ásgeirsson
Amiina
Andy Schauf
Apparat Organ Quartet
Árný
Árný Margrét
Atli
Ásthildur Ákadóttir
Ateria
Áuslaug Magnusdóttir
Æla

Baggalútur
Bára Gísladóttir
Bárujárn
Bedroom Community
Benni Hemm Hemm
Between Mountains
Biggi Hilmars
Björk
Björt
BKPM
Bláskjár
Borko
Bríet
Brimheim
Buff

Cosmic Call
Cyber
Daníel Bjarnarson
Ditka
DJ Margeir
Dr. Spock
Egill Sæbjörnsson
Eivør
Elin Hall
Elisapie
Evil Madness
Flesh Machine
Fókus
Frid Fufanu

Gabriel Ólafs
Geðbrigði
Ghostigital
GKR
GDRN
Greyskies
Gróa
Grúska Babúska
Guðmundur Óskar Guðmundsson
Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson †
Guðrið Hansdóttir
GusGus
Gyða

Hafdís Huld
Halla Tómasdóttir †
Halli Guðmundsson
Ham
Hekla
Hekla Magnúsdóttir
Hellvar/Heiða
Hildur Gunðadóttir
Hildur
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hjaltalín
Hjörvar
Högni
Hraun
Hudson Wayne
Hugar
Iðunn Einars

Jakobínarína
Jana
JFDR
Jófríður Ákadóttir
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhanna Elísa
Jóhanna Rakel
Jonathan
Jonfri
Joshua Wilkinson †
Júniús Meyvant
K.Óla
Kaktus Einarsson
Kalli
Kevin Cole †
Kimono
Kira Kira
Kiriyama Family
Kitchen Motors
Kjallarakabarett Kónguló
Kristín Sessala
Kvikindi

Langi Seli Og Skuggarnir
Larus Halldór Grimsson
Liva Mo
Ljáðu Okkur Eyra
Lupina
Mag og Tómas
Magnús Jóhann
Marius DC
Markús & The Diversion Sessions
Marta Ákadóttir
Mikado
Mezzoforté
Mr. Silla
Mugison
Múgsefjun
Mukka
Múm
My Summer as a Salvation Soldier
Mysterious Marta
Neonme
Nini Julia Bang
Nóra

Oculus
Ojba Rasta
Ólafur Arnalds
Ólöf Arnalds
Orphix Oxtra
Osmé
Óttarr Proppé
Pale Moon
Páll Óskar
Pellegrina
Pascal Pinon
Pellegrina
Peter Evans †
Petúr Ben
Rakel
Red Barnett
Retro Stefson
Reykjavíkurdætur
Róshildur
Rokkurró

Salka Valsdóttir
Samaris
Screaming Masterpiece
Shadow Parade
Shahzad Ismaily
Sigrún
Sigrún Stella
Sin Fang Bous
Sindrí
Siggi Ármann
Sigur Rós
Ske
Skúli Severrisson
Sóley
Sólstafir
Sprengjuhöllin
Stórsveit Nix Noltes
Sunna Margrét
Svavar Knútur
Sycamore Tree
Systur

Tappi Tíkarrass
Team Dreams
Tilbury
Toggi
Úlfur Eldjárn
Ultra Mega Technobandið Stefán
Una Torfa
Uni
Unun
Útidúr
Valgeir Sigurðsson
Vicky
Wim Van Hooste †

† = Fellow Travelers

Iceland Airwaves — Day 1

As I was going out this morning I met my host, Björk, in the stairway. “I’m going to meet the President!” I chirped, “At Grund!”

Each year the kickoff for Iceland Airwaves is held in Grund, a senior home, with Icelandic artists performing to the crowd that consisted of seniors, Airwaves attendees, pre-schoolers, and Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, the president of Iceland. He gave a welcoming speech, honest and genuine, thanking the Airwaves attendees and, in a broader sense, all the visitors to Iceland. His speech was followed by a short set from Una Torfa, singing her songs in Icelandic, who charmed the crowd:

Then came Mugison, troubador par excellence, who wowed the assembly with his songs accompanied by guitar and accordion. At one point he asked the audience if they wanted a song in English or Icelandic, with the response firmly for the latter. He played an old song, a waltz, on accordion, that had the crowd spellbound, even some of the seniors were seen “waltzing” in their seats. The assembled group demanded an encore in which Guðni joined the throng in a singalong on the chorus.

A beautiful start to a beautiful day.

On the way to the pool I helped a woman who had lost control of a box of mandarin oranges, and she gave me one for thanks!

The pool was divine, again. I spoke with some Airwaves attendees from Slovania and then made it back home for a bit of lie-down.

My first off-venue event of the day was at Smekkleysa record store where the noise trio Osmé was grinding out metal machine music, two guitars ans a technician on various noise generators. Mesmerizing, and I had my second Kevin Cole sighting of the festival:

I left to check out a happening on a boat in the harbour with free cocoa!

On the crowded boat there was a small dog on a leash, and attached to the other end of the leash was JFDR, to whom I actually spoke—thanking her for her music and semi-apoligizing for all the Wikipedia pictures I had posted of her. She graciously said that they were alright. After my fill of cocoa I went back to Smekkleysa where the techno duo Pellegrina was playing. Kevin Cole was still there, but also Heiða of Hellvar fame who I met in 2009! Then JFDR and her husband Joshua Wilkinson came in (without a dog this time) and cuddled in a corner while techno duo Pellegrina made the most unromantic music imaginable, although they were much improved over last years Airwaves:

Then the chanteuse Sigrún came on with a series of kenning tunes with prerecorded backgrounds:

She was very affecting but I left before her set was over in order to see the band Kvikindi at the Airwave information center stage (too Many Choices!):

The lead singer appeared to be visibly pregnant (a fact which she happily acknowledged!) and she didn’t let that stop her fun. The show seemed a little packaged (“Hello, Airwaves!”) but the band was good.

I went back to my flat to gather strength for the rest of the night. After a bit of a lie-down I was putting my shoes on in the entry when Unnur, the daughter of my Airbnb hosts, came in. She was honestly delighted that I was enjoying my rooms (I suspect she may have had a hand in their decoration.)

At Fríkirkjan Sunna Margrét was performing in a power trio. Very strong songs with great arrangements made this the best surprise of the day:

Over at Gaukurinn the female-fronted group Fókus was playing hard-nosed hard rock:

I had never seen Cyber put on a full act, so I went to see them again at the IA headquarters stage. They were as fun as ever but seemed to run out of gas toward the end. All that gyrating is hard work!



Best costume award goes to Jonathan who performed at Fríkirkjan with backing tracks, very ethereal:

Konx-Om-Pax is a Glasweigan techno artist with a penchant for spewing obscenities. No picture—he wanted the stage in Iðno to be “F-n black.” When his ‘music’ began I lasted about 20 seconds before I made for the exit.

Iceland Airwaves — Day 4

00:20: JFDR at Gamla Bíó.

The final act of Iceland Airwaves 2023. Jófríður Ákadóttir, AKA JFDR, has been a musician of interest for me since first seeing her at Iceland Airwaves 2009 when she was 15 and playing with her sister Ásthildur in the quartet Pascal Pinon. They produced three full-length albums and Jófríður’s follow-up group, Samaris, also released three albums which were very successful. As a solo act she has released multiple albums and EPs and her collaborations with other artists are innumerable. Additional film and television scoring is also in her CV.

One of the knocks against JFDR’s singing style has been her constant use of a breathy soprano. Tonight she was experimenting with her delivery and even going into an open-throated delivery at times.

I found myself engulfed in a reflective mood as I watched her: so many performances, so much music, watching her develop as a musician for half her life. Her musical growth may have plateaued lately, with songs of vague young adult angst rather than the insightful and focused coming-of-age narratives of her earlier work.

You can’t be a teen-ager forever.

Performing with her on various keys and programmers was her husband Joshua Wilkinson. Josh and Jó had been a definite item at this Airwaves as they were seen canoodling in dimly-lit back corners of off-venues. If there had been a cutest Airwaves couple award, they would have won it. A musical marriage creates its own problems, but tonight everything was all smiles, as evidenced with this lovely curtain call:

But the afterglow from the show evaporated in a flash.

As I was heading out through the outer lobby of Gamla Bíó I heard a loud metallic bang coming from the open doors, followed by shouts. Stepping out, I saw a car up on the sidewalk and a pedestrian lying by a snapped-off sign post. The anguished driver got out of her car, saying “It was my fault, it was my fault,” as she looked in horror at the immobile man. If I had been out the door 3 seconds earlier it would have been me on the ground.

Image: RUV

The air temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up, making my walk back to my flat even more disconsolate.

My Iceland Airwaves 2023 was over.

Song in Blue

I stare into nothing, I yearn for the innocence I once thought I had
A lack of sense for a fear that grows as I get older
I've carried these thoughts and I've drowned them in work
And I've worn myself blue on the way down
Oh, mother, would you cry if you hear this song? ~Jófríður Ákadóttir

In light of her perfomance tonight at SXSW I thought I would ruminate a bit about my favorite Icelandic chanteuse: Jófríður Ákadóttir, aka JFDR.

I first saw her perform with Pascal Pinon fourteen(!) years ago where I was touched by their honest presentation and her melodic songs. Jófríður and I actually interacted a bit back then, exchanging CDs, emails, she vetted a KFJC an interview (she said my blog was “cool”). A year later I saw her perform with Samaris and sat in on their sound-check, an experience which gave me some insight on her compositional methods:



In 2018 I saw her perform at Airwaves, in support of Nini Julia Bang, in an absolutely stunning off-venue performance:

I was standing in the back of the auditorium as she burst in, side-swiping me with her gear—my brush with greatness! In 2022 she repeated the feat, pushing me aside on her way to perform at a fashion boutique (I was hiding amidst the clothes but she still managed to find me):

Last year we actually sat down together and she spoke with me. I tried not to be a jabbering fan-boy but it was hard under the circumstances: I was on a vintage boat; in the Reykjavík harbour; with my favorite Icelandic musician; on a beautiful fall day and… cocoa. Jó graciously accepted my thanks for all her music over the years, so… now I can die happy, I guess:

Her music, in recent years, has become sadder as her youthful exuberance has been tempered with the usual disappointments and struggles that come with age. She got a big dose of reality when Covid hit just as she was on the verge of an international tour promoting her newest album. It wasn’t a complete disaster—she was stranded in Australia with musician/electronic equipment designer Joshua Wilkinson, whom she then married! I saw them perform together at last year’s Iceland Airwaves; it was a stripped-down show, but Jófríður was in good spirits and was even pushing herself in new musical directions:

While I have struggled some with her more recent music—it isn’t exactly easy listening—she always has inventive arrangements and beautiful melodies. Of all the musical acts I’ve seen in Iceland, hers is the one I have engaged with the most over the last 25 years. What that says about me, I don’t know exactly, but I am grateful for her honesty, intelligence, as well as a clear musical vision.

So… Tonight Jófríður is playing in Austin, Texas for SXSW. She’s 28, and arguably at the peak of her musical powers. Is there a place for a melancholy Icelandic star in the disintegrating world of pop music? The last Icelandic act to hit it big* was Of Monsters and Men and that was over a dozen years ago, Sigur Rós broke over twenty years ago and Bjórk’s “debut” was over thirty! The world of music distribution has changed since then and the odds are against her (she does film and TV scoring too.)

The larger world has encroached on SXSW as well. SXSW is sponsored in part by the the U.S. Army which has had a role in the current situation in Israel and Palestine. Another Icelandic act, Gróa (with whom JFDR’s sister Marta performs), has already pulled out from the festival because of that issue, an issue that may become a family affair. Regardless of any fallout from this performance, it is just another hurdle for her to overcome in her fairy-tale career:

Lift ourselves up from the ground
Let wings grow into our backs
As if we′re angels in the cold air of heaven
We're flying to, We fall down
Throw ourselves into the deep sea
Let fish-tails grow onto our bodies
Swim like seals in the cold ocean and
Feel safe ′cause there we can't fall down
Lower ourselves down from the sky, and onto the earth
Let arms grow out of our bodies as if we're babies ~ Jófríður Ákadóttir

This may well be my final JFDR post on FITK.

Good-bye is too cruel a word, babe, so I’ll just say, “Fare thee well… ”


More JFDR posts on FITK

*Laufey was half-raised in the U.S.